Al-Jedda v Secretary of State for the Home Department
[2013] UKSC 62
Independent editorial summary — not the official judgment. Read the full judgment via the source link.
Ratio Decidendi
The Secretary of State cannot deprive a person of British citizenship if the effect would be to render them stateless, unless they are able to acquire another nationality.
Facts
Mr Al-Jedda, an Iraqi-born British citizen, was deprived of his citizenship while abroad. He had been deprived of Iraqi nationality upon becoming British. The question was whether the deprivation rendered him stateless.
Judgment Summary
The Supreme Court held that the deprivation order was invalid because it rendered Mr Al-Jedda stateless. The possibility of reacquiring Iraqi nationality was too uncertain to rely upon.
Key Quotes
"The prohibition on rendering a person stateless reflects a fundamental principle of international law."
— Lord Wilson
Subsequent Treatment
Led to amendment of BNA 1981 to allow deprivation even if it causes statelessness where the person has conducted themselves in a manner seriously prejudicial to the UK.
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